North DeSoto Lower Elementary

Monday Memo October 6, 2025

NDLE's Mission Statement: The Little Griffin family serves, cares, and educates creating a love for learning leading to graduation.

Upcoming Events at NDLE

October

6-10 Fall Break (School Closed)

14 PK Donuts with Dad

15 Kindergarten Donuts with Dad

16 First Grade Donuts with Dad

17 Booster Club Concessions

24 PK 50th Day Celebration and Streetcar Snoballs

27-31 Red Ribbon Week

30 Monster Math Night 5:00-7:00 pm

31 Book Parade and Streetcar Snoballs

November

3 Picture Retakes/Makeups

7 Booster Club Concessions

10 Parent-Teacher Conferences (Virtual Day for Students)

13 Thanksgiving lunch for all grades

21 Streetcar Snoballs

24-28 Thanksgiving Break (Schools Closed)

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📣 NDLE Families – Important Drop Off & Pick Up Times! 🚗🚌

To help our mornings and afternoons run smoothly, please take note of our daily schedule:

🌞 Morning Drop Off:

  • 7:05 – Doors open & breakfast begins

  • 7:35 – First bell rings, class begins

  • 7:40 – Tardy bell rings (parents must walk students in through the cafeteria entrance)

🌙 Afternoon Pick Up:

  • 2:55 – Dismissal to cars and buses

  • 3:15 – Car line pick up ends

⏰ Thank you for being on time and helping us keep every student safe and ready to learn each day! 💙❤️

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Birthday Treats

All birthday and holiday treats that are served at school must be store-bought with an ingredient list visible to the teacher. This is for safety purposes due to the students with food allergies. Also, please make sure the treats you send are individually portioned. No whole cakes that teachers are required to cut and serve. Birthday treats are served at the end of their lunch period so it doesn't need to be a large amount or something that is time consuming for the teacher who also eats lunch at this time.

School Approved Examples:

Store bought bakery items such as cupcakes, cookies, brownie bites or donuts.

Individually packaged items such as Rice Krispie treats, Little Debbie Cakes, Chips Ahoy, Oreos, fruit snacks, etc.

Thank you parents and families for your understanding and cooperation in this so our school days may run smoothly while your Little One also gets celebrated by their classmates.

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Ways to Keep Learning over Fall Break

🧠 Literacy Activities

Help children grow their reading, writing, and language skills through playful exploration.

  1. Story Picnic – Bring a few books outside, read under a tree or in a fort, and talk about the characters and setting.

  2. Alphabet Scavenger Hunt – Find objects that start with each letter of the alphabet (A for apple, B for ball, etc.).

  3. Story Builders – Use picture cards or toys (animals, people, vehicles) to make up short stories together.

  4. Label Your World – Write labels for everyday items (door, chair, sink) and let your child read them aloud.

  5. Letter Craft Collage – Pick a letter of the day and cut out or draw pictures of things that begin with that sound.

🔢 Counting & Math Skills

Encourage early numeracy through games and real-world practice.

  1. Snack Math – Use goldfish crackers or fruit snacks to count, sort by color, and make simple addition/subtraction stories.

  2. Nature Numbers – Collect sticks, rocks, or leaves and use them to make number shapes or count sets.

  3. Jump and Count – Hop, clap, or stomp while counting to 20 (or higher for older children).

  4. Shape Hunt – Find and name shapes around the house or yard (rectangle door, circle clock, triangle sign).

  5. Pattern Play – Create color or shape patterns with blocks, beads, or cereal pieces.

✋ Fine Motor Skills

Build hand strength and coordination for writing, cutting, and daily tasks.

  1. Playdough Creations – Roll, pinch, and shape letters, numbers, or animals.

  2. Cut and Paste Art – Cut out magazine pictures or colored paper shapes to make a collage.

  3. Clothespin Counting – Clip numbered clothespins onto matching number cards or count objects.

  4. Sticker Lines – Place stickers along a path or on drawn lines to strengthen finger control.

  5. Bead Necklaces – String beads or pasta to create patterns or spell a name.

🏃 Gross Motor Skills & Exercise

Keep bodies moving while supporting coordination, balance, and core strength.

  1. Obstacle Course – Crawl under chairs, jump over pillows, and hop on one foot through a course.

  2. Animal Walks – Move like different animals (bear crawl, frog jump, crab walk).

  3. Balloon Keep-Up – Try to keep a balloon in the air without letting it touch the ground.

  4. Hopscotch – Draw with sidewalk chalk and count spaces as they hop.

  5. Dance Party – Play favorite songs and add moves like spinning, tiptoeing, or clapping to the beat.

🌞 Bonus: Cross-Skill Activities

Blend learning and movement for all-around development:

  1. Letter Hop Game – Write letters on paper and call one out for your child to jump to.

  2. Counting Catch – Toss a ball back and forth while counting each catch.

  3. Story Walk – Take a walk and make up a story about what you see.

  4. Chalk Words – Write sight words or numbers outside and spray them with water as you read or count them.

Epic Daycare Information

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Upcoming ND Events:

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Fall picture retakes/makeups are on Monday, November 3.

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Snoballs are $4 cash for students who did not prepay.

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Oct. 3 concessions have been moved to Oct. 17.

Students and Staff Free Dress Pass

If students or staff donate a bag of candy or prizes for Monster Math Night, you will get a free dress pass to use when you want. Please drop off donations to the front office and Mrs. Miller or Mrs. Salter will give you your pass. Limited to ONE Free Dress Pass for Staff and Students.

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Come play some Math Games and have some Halloween fun with your school community at our annual Monster Math Night on Thursday, Oct. 30 from 5:00-7:00.

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NDLE's annual Book Parade is on Friday October 31st at 9:00 am. Parents and family members are invited to come watch. Streetcar Snoballs will be at the school if parents want to purchase a snoball for their child after the parade. This is not part of the prepaid package. Halloween parties will be held at the beginning of the day before the parade. Teachers will let you know what kind of costume your child should wear. Please check ROOMs for that information.

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Our next parent-teacher conferences for the 2nd 9 weeks is Monday November 10. This is a virtual (no school) day for students. Teachers will be at the school meeting with parents from 10 am-6 pm.

Red Ribbon Week

Mark your calendars for National Red Ribbon Week October 27-31.

MONDAY: Wear crazy socks and hat

TUESDAY: Wear workout clothes or sports gear

WEDNESDAY: Twin Day (match with a friend)

THURSDAY: Wear green or dinosaur t-shirt

FRIDAY: Book Parade (Dress as a book character from your class book.) *Teachers will let you know which book their class will dress like.


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NDLE's Hometown Spirit Shop

Are you looking for a spirit shirt to wear with uniform bottoms on Fridays? Buy your spirit shirt here and also support our school! Click the link below.

NDLE Hometown Spirit Shop

Thank you NDLE Booster Club for hosting Mother-Son Bingo on Sept. 26!

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Booster Club Meeting

Come join the NDLE Booster Club on Wednesday, November 5 at 3:00 pm in the Multi-purpose room. This is the best way to get involved with volunteering at our school.

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Concessions

The Booster club will sell concessions on Friday, November 7. Please send money in your child's folder in an envelope or ziplock bag that has their name and "concessions" written on it.

Donuts with Dad

Mark your calendars for Donuts with Dad! This event will be held on the dates listed below 7:00-7:30 before school in the gym.

October 14: PK Donuts with Dad

October 15: Kindergarten Donuts with Dad

October 16: First Grade Donuts with Dad

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If you would like to refer your student to meet with Mrs. Arinder for any reason, click this link. Counselor Referral

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Students who were caught demonstrating Habit 2: Begin With The End In Mind were nominated by their teachers, recognized in class, and received a leadership token from Officer Randolph to use in the book machine. 

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Leader In Me

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

Habit 2 teaches students to have a clear vision of their goals before they start working toward them. It’s about thinking ahead, setting personal and academic goals, and making choices that align with the person they want to become. When students “Begin with the End in Mind,” they learn to plan with purpose and take ownership of their future—whether that’s finishing a project, improving a skill, or building strong character. Families can support this habit by talking with their children about dreams, goals, and the steps needed to achieve them.

At School:

  • Before starting a project, think about what a great finished product will look like and make a plan to get there.

  • Set a personal goal for the week—like finishing all homework on time or improving a test score—and track progress each day.

  • Visualize how you want your classroom behavior or teamwork to look and make choices that support that vision.

At Home:

  • Set a goal for a family responsibility, like keeping your room clean or feeding a pet, and plan when and how you’ll do it.

  • Before starting a big task (like a science fair project or art piece), picture what you want it to look like when it’s done.

  • Talk as a family about what’s important—such as kindness, honesty, or helping others—and think about how your actions show those values each day.

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Readers are Leaders!

Here are the students who earned AR buttons this week. Way to go!

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Kindergarten Reading Logs for October

Kindergarten Families,

Please turn in your October reading logs by Friday, October 31st. If there is a class where EVERYONE turns in their completed October Reading Log, Mrs. Odom will buy the class donuts!

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Link to Menus on DPSB website

Breakfast

  • Oct. 6-10 Fall Break

  • Monday, Oct. 13: cereal, string cheese, pears, juice or milk

Lunch

  • Oct. 6-10 Fall Break

  • Monday, Oct. 13: Hot Dog, chili, french fries, corn on the cob, baked beans, oranges, milk

Desoto Schools Logo

District Resources

For more district-wide back-to-school information, including our student handbook and setting up your Student Progress Center account (for grades access), click here.

If you need help with ROOMS, click ROOMS.

You can download the JCAMPUS App to get easy access to your child's grades. Click here for instructions => JCAMPUS

Check out the DeSoto Parish Schools Parent Hub for information and resources about our school and the district.

North DeSoto Lower Elementary

2623 Hwy 171

Stonewall, Louisiana 71078

(318) 925-2383

Follow our Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/ndlittlegriffins/

NDLE Website

Desoto Parish Schools Website

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#DreamBelieveAchieve